Humble and soft-spoken… greatly opposing the deep aggressive nature of the bass guitar – which he has perfected, David Pastorius talks about his path into the entertainment industry and one peculiar night in Nashville that almost derailed it all.
Conversing with Pastorius, you can tell music is ultimately his predestined driving force. While his relaxed but professional nature is an ideal fit for the sunny southern state of Florida, that’s not quite where it all began – hailing only briefly from the Upper Midwest.
“I lived in Minneapolis, but only for the first three months of my life… Melbourne (Florida) was where I took my first steps, grew up, and got into music. The first band I played in was called the Fleshy Headed Mutants and they were actually really good. It was like Pantera meets Cypress Hill, kind of a rap/rock vibe. The other guys were a little bit older than me… I was around 17 and they were on average 25, but it was a fun time.”
In 2014, an American documentary was assembled that recounted the life and death of Jaco Pastorius, extensively regarded as one of the most influential and greatest jazz musicians ever. Directed by Paul Marchand and Ste-phen Kijak, the film’s focus happens to be a member of David’s family.
“Most people assume he’s why I got into playing the bass, but it really had nothing to do with that. Jaco died when I was 10, and I started playing when I was 15. I knew I had an uncle who was involved in music, and I knew he was a bassist, but I wasn’t really sure what it was all about. One day after school I went to hang out with my buddy from class, this kid named Sam, and he happened to play bass. He started playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers version of “Higher Ground” for me, and that right there was it – I knew what I wanted to do. I have dabbled with playing other instruments, but I would only consider myself proficient on bass. When I’m walking around or working out, I listen to anything. I’m into all types of music – but I do gravitate toward metal, hip-hop, rock, and funk. One of my favorite vocalists of all time has to be Mike Patton from Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. When I was starting out, I was influenced a lot by musicians like Flea, Robert Trujillo, and Les Claypool. It didn’t register at first, but going back to it now, I realize Jaco was amazing and definitely a role model. I met him more than twice, but only twice that I remember because I was too little the other times. Some of the 8mm footage in the documentary actually came from my mom’s personal things. We got it organized for Robert (Trujillo) and helped him splice it together. I’m on the soundtrack too, and at the time I was playing with Tech N9ne, a rap artist who is also on the soundtrack for the movie.
Speaking of Tech N9ne, I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. He raps really fast, and years ago I had an idea that I should follow his voice on the bass. So I made a video of me doing that, and posted it. All of a sudden Tech N9ne and his company started sharing my videos. Next thing I know, Travis – who is the president of Strange Music – called me one night and said, ‘Hey, we’re putting a band together and can you play bass for the tour?’ Of course I accepted. So that was a really cool moment.”
Pastorius has worked hard to be in a position which allows his talents to be showcased on stages all over the world, including a unique concert event held in international waters. But the route to stepping into the spotlight with some of the biggest names in the recording industry isn’t always glitz and glamour.
“In 2019 I played with Carl Palmer, and we went on tour (Royal Affair Tour) with Yes, Asia, and John Lodge. For nine years now though I have been with Pat Travers. We have had some scattered shows, but will be picking back up in 2026. We recently did a show in California where Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) came out and sang and played guitar with us because he’s a big Pat fan, and I really enjoy performing on the ships (Monsters of Rock), so I’ve had a ton of great experiences with this band. Pat has been amazing to work with – he’s a great boss, super down-to-earth guy, and I’ve learned a lot from him. We both write music, so to watch his creative process is definitely inspiring. Way before Pat though, I was trying to do the Nashville thing, but that city wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, there
are so many amazing musicians in that area… the scene just didn’t really fit what I was trying to do. I remember one night this guy saw me play a jam session, and he came
up to me and said, ‘Hey, can you do a gig?’ I told him, ‘Sure, but I don’t know the material.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry about that – I just watched you play and you’re great, you’ll catch on.’ I agreed, but that night whoever was going to be the main guitar player and give me the cues for the songs didn’t show up. Three songs in, I could tell it wasn’t working. It got so stressful, that I looked out of the window and saw a bass player walking down the street that I had met the night before. I ran outside, grabbed him and said, ‘Hey can you finish this gig,’ because ev-eryone local knows all the songs they play every night. So he came in and finished the set. I remember sitting outside that bar and contemplating quitting… for about five min-utes, and then realized that was just a weird situation I had found myself in.”
When Pastorius is not on tour, you can find him teaching his skills to hopeful future guitarists and guiding them through the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of the bass.
“I do give lessons locally, but most are remote believe it or not. I do a lot of instruction over Facebook messenger, that’s where I’ve found it sounds the best virtually. Other than that, I run every day and love watching movies. I wish I had other hobbies, but music really is my main thing. It consumes me. I love traveling, so that’s great for what I do… and when I’m in Los Angeles, the Whiskey (a Go Go) is one of my favorite spots to play because of all the history.”
Life on the road can be a chaotic wild ride, but Pastorius says he celebrates every second of it.
“This is what I was meant to do. Right now I play Sandberg Bass Guitars when I’m performing, but I also have a signature bass called the David Pastorius Proto made by Valkenburg Guitars. I love every opportunity I’ve been given, but eventually I want to be king of my own castle and do my own music again.”
**For live video and more information on lessons check out davidpastorius on Instagram and Facebook
